La Salle University
MUS 150-A Art of Listening
Midterm Exam
Name ______
I. Listening Answer the following questions about the various works we have listened to in the course so far.
Excerpt One: Santana with Dave Matthews: “Love Of My Life”
1. The guitar playing the melody is likely at which frequency (pitch) level?
a. 20 Hz b. 50 Hz c. 400 Hz d. 12000 Hz e. 18000 Hz
2. If the meter is four, how many "bars" or "measures" is the drum solo at the beginning?
a. one b. four c. three d. seven e. five
3. Which of the following refers to the PITCH of this example?
a. melody goes up and then down b. beat is steady c. volume level is consistent
d. meter is four e. no "ball"
4. Who has the "ball" in this example?
a. drums b. bass guitar c. guitar d. voice e. it changes
5. Which of the following is true regarding the element of duration from this example?
a. contains soft and loud sounds c. contains phrases, cadences, melody and harmony
b. contains beat, rhythms and tempo d. contains a combination of different instprument types
6. “Three notes up, followed by three notes down” describes the:
a. beat b. timbre c. duration d. melody e. dynamics
7. Which of the following describes the timbre of this example?
a. voice only b. drums only c. voice and rock / jazz band d. choir e. choir and orchestra
8. Which of the following is playing the beat in this example?
a. bass guitar b. guitar c. drums d. conductor e. no one
9. Which of the following instrumental families is missing from “Love of My Life”?
a. string b. percussion c. keyboard d. electronic e. woodwind
10. The melody and harmonies of “Love of My Life” were taken from which well-known composer?
-1. a. Bach b. Beethoven c. Brahms d. Berlioz
Excerpt Two: Andrew York: “Pine Cove”
11. Which rendition of this piece would have the greatest dynamic range?
a. an mp3 recording b. a radio broadcast c. a compressed WAV file d. a live performance
12. Is there "a ball" in this selection?
a. yes, it is in different instruments b. yes, it is always on the guitar c. no, there is no sound
d. yes, it is implied e. no, the composer did not like sports
13. Which of the following is NOT HEARD in this example?
a. melody b. harmony c. rhythm d. beat e. timbre
14. Which of the following refers to the element of DURATION in this example?
a. moderate volume b. different rhythms c. melodic shape d. high and low e. light and dark
15. Which of the following describes the timbre of this example?
a. voice b. drums c. voice and rock band d. acoustic guitar e. church choir
16. Regarding the element of duration, which of the following DOES NOT apply to this excerpt?
a. contains harmony b. meter is 4 c. steady beat d. medium tempo
17. Which of the following is absent from this example?
a. pitch b. duration c. dynamics d. timbre e. none of the above
18. Which of the following describes the beat in this example?
a. there is no beat b. guitar plays the beat c. drums play the beat d. the beat is implied
Excerpt Three: Miles Davis (performed by Don Reese): “All Blues”
19. This work was performed in class using a ______pedal
a. Loop b. Volume c. Beat d. Gas e. Harmony
20. The main form of the tune unfolds in ______measures.
a. two b. six c. twelve d. twenty four e. one-half
21. The timbre of this selection is ______
a. electric guitar b. pop band c. orchestra d. choir e. piano
22. The composer of this song was:
a. unknown b. unrecognized c. poor d. very influential e. Prof. Reese
23. Regarding the element of duration, which of the following is NOT CONTAINED in “All Blues”?
a. a downbeat b. a meter c. an implied beat d. an irregular tempo e. a groove
24. The main melody of this example is played on the third “pass” of the form. This main melody is called the:
a. tail b. foot c. gut d. torso e. head
II. Multiple Choice
25. In any piece of music, which timbre is always present?
a. drums b. bass c. cymbals d. violin e. there is no requirement for a specific timbre
26 The term "decrescendo" means to gradually get:
a. louder b. faster c. lower in pitch d. softer e. slower
27. Which of the following is NOT considered a "family" of instruments?
a. Woodwind b. String c. Brass d. Clarinet e. Percussion
28. The ______of a musical work is usually grouped in 2s, 3s OR 4s.
a. interval b. pitch c. meter d. dynamics e. cadence
29. The steady underlying pulse that occurs in a piece of music is called the:
a. beat b. pitch c. timbre d. dynamic e. conjunct interval
30. In a rock or pop band, the snare drum plays on beats 2 and 4, which is called the?
a. beat b. down beat c. up beat d. front beat e. back beat
31. Which of the following elements is most affected by compression?
a. pitch b. duration c. dynamics d. timbre e. tempo
32. Which of the following is not specifically an element or property of music?
a. duration b. harmony c. pitch d. dynamics e. timbre
33. In any piece of music, the beat will always be played by the:
a. drums b. bass c. cymbals d. violins e. it might not be played at all
34. What would be the Sound Pressure Level (decibel range) of an acoustic classical guitar?
a. 0-5 dB b. 10-11 dB c. 20-60 dB d. 100-200 dB e. 220-260 dB
35. Which of the following is NOT required to fit our definition of music?
a. time b. organization c. singing d. sound
36. Which frequency range is a guitar typically in?
a. 10-20 Hz b. 20-30 Hz c. 30-35 Hz d. 200-900 Hz e. 10,000-20,000 Hz
-1. 37. Which of the following is applied to reduce the dynamic range of a musical selection?
-1. a. compression b. mixing c. production d. reverberation e. interference
38. The file size of an mp3 version of a song is ______that of the original.
-1. a. the same as b. the same length as c. smaller than d. more muffled than e. softer than
39. Which of the following abbreviations would you expect to find regarding timbre of a choral work?
a. AABA b. EBGDF c. SATB d. forte e. form
40. What must be present in order for an ensemble to be considered an orchestra?
a. brass b. each of the instrument families c. woodwinds d. bowed strings e. over 25 people
41. A sudden dynamic change is called a ______?
a. subito b. prospero c. tempo d. soprano e. burrito
42. In any piece of music, the beat will always be played by the:
a. drums b. bass c. cymbals d. violins e. it might not be played at all
43. The energy present in a piece of music is called the?
a. time b. groove c. center d. sound e. space
44. Which of the following is the MOST COMMON voice type for a male?
a. tenor b. baritone c. bass d. falsetto e. alto
45. Which of the following is NOT a responsibility of the Concertmaster?
a. tuning up the orchestra
b. deciding on the bowings for the violin section
c. playing any passages written for solo violin
d. assuming the responsibility of conducting the performance if the conductor is unable
e. changing the notes in the orchestra's parts to suit his or her taste
46. Which of the following is the highest voice type for a female?
a. soprano b. contralto c. mezzo-piano d. mezzo-soprano e. alto
47. A shorter string length will produce a ______pitch than a longer string length.
a. louder b. softer c. bigger d. higher e. closer
48. When you see an orchestra perform, you will see synchronized movements of each the bowed string sections. The decision for which direction the bow should move for every note of a composition is made by:
a. conductor b. composer c. individual violinist d. concertmaster e. rock, paper, scissors
49. If you arrive late to a “classical” concert, you:
a. can walk right in and find your seat while the music is playing
b. will not be admitted into the hall until there is applause
c. will be admitted into the hall while the music is playing, but must pay extra
d. will not be admitted into the hall at all, and you must forfeit the concert
e. don’t need to worry – the concert won’t start until you have arrived
50. What is the primary consideration for placing a musical instrument into a family?
a. how it produces sound b. what it is made of c. how it sounds d. what it looks like
51. Tempo is a term which refers to the ______
a. melody b. dynamic level c. speed of the beats d. sound of the instruments e. composer
52. The words "long" and "short" refer to which of the following terms?
a. pitch b. rhythm c. dynamics d. timbre e. motive
53 The range of human hearing generally extends from ______Herz.
a. 10 to 100 b. 20 to 200 c. 50 to 5,000 d. 100 to 10,000 e. 20 to 20,000
54. Which of the following is the low voice type for a male?
a. tenor b. baritone c. bass d. falsetto e. alto
55. The voice classification for a low female is: ______.
a. soprano b. mezzo soprano c. contralto/alto d. baritone e. tenor
56. A ______is a resting place in music, and may be either temporary (incomplete) or permanent (complete).
a. pitch b. cadence c. rhythm d. dynamic e. mezzo soprano
57. When the beat is not evident in a musical work, it is said to be:
a. nonmetric b. fast c. inconclusive d. cadence e. accented
58. What is the instrument (in a rock or pop band) that usually plays on beats 2 and 4?
a. snare drum b. hi hat c. conga drum d. crash cymbal e. keyboard
59. Which of the following terms is “I’m lovin’ it” in the McDonald’s song in their commercials?
a. meter b. timbre c. tempo d. motive e. beat
60. When you answer your phone without resorting to Caller ID, your can tell who you are talking to by which of the elements of music/sound?
a. duration b. pitch c. dynamics d. timbre e. wouldn’t answer without Caller ID
61. Which of the following is NOT associated with the Duration element of music?
a. downbeat b. syncopation c. tempo d. meter e. voice
62. The words "loud" and "soft" refer to which of the following terms?
a. pitch b. rhythm c. dynamics d. timbre e. tempo
63. The words "fast" and "slow" refer to which of the following terms?
a. pitch b. motive c. dynamics d. timbre e. tempo
64. Which of the following families may be bowed or plucked?
a. Woodwind b. String c. Percussion d. Keyboard e. Brass
65. The voice classification for a high male is: ______.
a. soprano b. mezzo soprano c. contralto/alto d. baritone e. tenor
III. Matching
66. equalizer A. Hearing in the background
67. beat B. Required in an orchestra
68. active listening C. An emphasis placed on an unaccented beat
69. violin D. Director of the orchestra
70. downbeat E. Unaccompanied voices “as in the chapel”
71. dissonant F. A fragment of a melody that triggers your ear
72. meter G. Gradually get louder
73. MIDI H. Piece of music that contains singing
74. a cappella I. Pattern of shorts and longs
75. song J. A portion of a melody ending with a cadence
76. conductor K. How the beats are grouped (usually 2, 3, or 4)
77. syncopation L. Steady pulse occurring in a musical work
78. groove M. First chair first violinist; tunes the orchestra
79. crescendo N. A device to alter the TIMBRE of a recording
80. phrase O. Beat one of a meter; the start of a pattern
81. motive P. Language used for electronic instruments
82. rhythm Q. Energy present in a piece of music
83. concertmaster R. Concentrating on what you hear
84. passive listening S. Unstable; requiring resolution
MUS 150 Midterm Exam Answer Sheet and Part IV Name ______
1 . _____ 23 . _____ 45 . _____ 67 . _____
2 . _____ 24 . _____ 46 . _____ 68 . _____
3 . _____ 25 . _____ 47 . _____ 69 . _____
4 . _____ 26 . _____ 48 . _____ 70 . _____
5 . _____ 27 . _____ 49 . _____ 71 . _____
6 . _____ 28 . _____ 50 . _____ 72 . _____
7 . _____ 29 . _____ 51 . _____ 73 . _____
8 . _____ 30 . _____ 52 . _____ 74 . _____
9 . _____ 31 . _____ 53 . _____ 75 . _____
10 . _____ 32 . _____ 54 . _____ 76 . _____
11 . _____ 33 . _____ 55 . _____ 77 . _____
12 . _____ 34 . _____ 56 . _____ 78 . _____
13 . _____ 35 . _____ 57 . _____ 79 . _____
14 . _____ 36 . _____ 58 . _____ 80 . _____
15 . _____ 37 . _____ 59 . _____ 81 . _____
16 . _____ 38 . _____ 60 . _____ 82 . _____
17 . _____ 39 . _____ 61 . _____ 83 . _____
18 . _____ 40 . _____ 62 . _____ 84 . _____
19 . _____ 41 . _____ 63 . _____
20 . _____ 42 . _____ 64 . _____
21 . _____ 43 . _____ 65 . _____
22 . _____ 44 . _____ 66 . _____
IV. True or False. For each statement, indicate if it is true or false. *BONUS - change each false statement to make it read true.
85. A crescendo is an arrival point or climax.
86. The material from which an instrument is made effects the timbre of it.
87. If your voice type is a soprano, you can work very hard and become an alto.
88. In any selection of music, once an instrument has “the Ball”, they will have it until the end.
89. The Piano is the correct, full name of the large white instrument in our classroom.
90 The softest instruments are all placed at the front of the orchestra.
91. When you hear a piece of music, timbre might not necessarily be present.